The ones without a name
by Tao Trooper
Summary: One-shot. At the end of his life, Clow casts the last spell. But something went wrong, and the soul division failed. What happens when the two boys awake to existence? (based on the manga plot, volumes 10 & 11)


_In the middle of my last spell, I realized something: it was not working the way it was supposed to be. Not enough magic, clearly. I felt lighter, and a pain of death took over me and tear my conscience out.  
  
_

* * *

  
The blue-haired boy opened his eyes. The sight of the dark living room was blurry, and the shadows seemed to dance at the moonlight. Outside the house, it was snowing.  
  
He sat down in order to examine the results. First, he concentrated on himself. Indeed, there was no change in his enormous powers. The wizard had achieved in the soul partition, alright. The real goal of the spell had not, though. The blue-haired boy swore in a whisper. His old visions had failed him, how frustrating.  
  
Then he stood up and focused on the brown-haired boy, who was sleeping on the floor. Like the blue-haired boy expected, his other self had almost zero magic energy and no presence whatsoever. He reckoned that half wasn't even able to detect the simplest psychic halo; not even a sorcerer, not even a ghost, absolutely nothing.  
  
No time left for regrets, however. The sun was about to rise, and the second part of the last spell was about to be activated. The blue-haired boy took the brown-haired boy on his arms. It was a little heavy for that body, but he could lift him. He started walking towards a secret chamber, so well hidden than not even his guardians had ever discovered it. There were only two beds in it. He put the brown-haired boy on one of them. He felt relieved and so tired. He still couldn't believe the reincarnation went wrong...  
  
The blue-haired boy laid on the second bed and closed his eyelids. He was able to feel it, the magic surrounding him in embrace. Finally, it was the moment to meet Morpheus. The chamber sealed itself with a defensive charm: the children would not be found or bothered by anyone for some decades; resting in peace, but alive, just dormant. Yes, sleeping would be nice, he murmured to himself. It might heal the sorrow in his heart, coming from his recent death. Mentally, he said good-bye to his creations again, and then he lost himself on a lethargic state.  
  


* * *

The blue-haired boy woke up first. Time had stood still in the chamber, so he and his companion looked exactly like they used to on the snowy night they were 'born'. They hadn't grown at all, not even their hair or nails. The room didn't even had dust or spider webs. It worked like a small Neverland. He went to the exit, slowly. His legs were a bit stiff from the long nap. He tapped a specific brick with his finger, and the wall disappeared. He left the room, his mind busy with his thoughts.  
  
He entered in the living room. It was amazing, but the red armchair was still there, along with his books. Except for one, obviously: the fake, empty book in burgundy was gone. The cards also were missing, hiding somewhere, looking for a new master.  
  
The blue-haired boy sat on the armchair. It was dirty, as the rest of the house. Nobody was habituating there at the moment; he knew it. Evidently, it belonged to somebody, since there was a table he didn't recognize and there were contemporary books mixed with the cryptic sorcery ones on the shelves.  
  
He looked on his neck, and found it. A thin, golden chain with a key pendant. The sun-shaped jewel was also made of gold, and emitted a reddish glow. Then he started to think about those events. So, the soul did divide, but the powers didn't. Why? How did that happen? It wasn't enough for such a spell, it required more magic. The magician had confidence in the superiority of his charms; after all, he was considered the most powerful in his dimension at that time. But he could not do it, he had failed, and now that half had to suffer the overbearing clairvoyance again, like his past life. It was hopeless, he would never be able to escape!  
  
Not to worry, he'd find the solution. 'Everything will be all right, surely'. That's what the Cardmistress tends to say in his visions... Wait a minute...  
  
Indeed, the Cardmistress! If she surpasses Clow's powers, then... Maybe there was a possibility for her to... That's why he saw the halves with exact energy in the future. It was her, it was her, she'll get to help the blue-haired boy. He had to wait years for that, though. More patience, more hope. It was not all lost, right?  
  
The blue-haired boy heard a noise, and moments later, he saw the brown-haired boy arriving. The first one was surprised -he hadn't expected the other to wake up so soon-, but nothing like the second one. He was afraid and confused, apprehensively looking at the blue-haired boy. It didn't seem like he could even speak or run away.  
  
"Come here," said the blue-haired boy in Japanese, "I shall not hurt you, we are the same." The brown-haired boy walked towards him, trembling.  
  
"Who are you?," said the brown-haired boy. The blue-haired boy meditated the question.  
  
"I am you," he finally answered, grinning. "And who are you, by the way?"  
  
"I am..." The brown-haired boy stopped, dumbstruck. Then he understood he didn't know who he was. Not even his own name...  
  
"Well," said the blue-haired boy, "you cannot know that, you see. We are nobody yet, the ones without a name. Not until we get out of this place and create our own reality. Understand?"  
  
"Not really, it's confusing. And what about our family? Do we have one? I can't remember my parents. Are we brothers?"  
  
"No, sorry." The blue-haired boy's face was sad. "We have no family, no parents, no identity, no past. And like I told you, we are the same, so I am afraid I'm not your brother."  
  
"How can we be the same if we look so different?" The brown-haired boy saw his reflection in a window. "My skin is darker, our hair and eyes don't look alike, they don't even have the same colour."  
  
"It's not about the body," said the blue-haired boy as he stood up from the dusty armchair. He put his hand on the brown-haired boy's chest and smiled. "It's about _this_."  
  
He couldn't help it; he smiled back to him.  
  


* * *

They were hungry. The boys explored the mansion, looking for food. When they separated, the blue-haired boy made some bread with magic, and called the brown-haired boy. He told him he had 'found' it on a table. After they ate, the brown-haired boy seemed intrigued by one of the books at the bookcase. Luckily, they weren't the spell books Clow used to read, but it was full of photographs from an exotic place.  
  
"Can you read this?," he asked. "This place looks fascinating, but I can't understand the text, it has weird letters on it."  
  
"It's Egypt," said the blue-haired boy, after taking a look. "There was an old civilization on the desert, rather intelligent for their time. Those were the ones who built these pyramids."  
  
"Wow... Do you think we can go there?"  
  
"I do not think we can yet... It's located in a faraway country, and we're still children. Besides, you must stay here, in Japan, since your future is here."  
  
"It is? What do you know." The brown-haired boy looked disappointed.  
  
"Well, what do you prefer? Seeing three thousand-year-old stones or forming a family?"  
  
"A family, of course!," said the brown-haired boy, blushing.  
  
"Then do not go to Egypt yet. When you have grown up, found a good job and a beautiful wife, and had a couple of children, then you can go wherever you want!" The brown-haired boy laughed at his partner's ideas.  
  
"What about you, then?"  
  
"Me? I do not fancy desert so much. I'll go to live in England instead."  
  
"Don't you want to form a family?!"  
  
"Of course I do. Just not yet, I'm not ready for commitment."  
  
"You're so weird..." The brown-haired boy sniggered.  
  
"Oh, I get that a lot." The blue-haired boy winked.  
  


* * *

They were ready to go out to the world. Well, almost.  
  
"We can't go out yet!," said the brown-haired boy, alarmed.  
  
"Why not? We cannot stay here forever, can we?"  
  
"But we don't have a name. I don't even know how to call you."  
  
"Good point... Then what do you suggest?"  
  
"Let's give ourselves a name! It will be fun!"  
  
"All right... How do you want to be called, then?" The blue-haired boy was amused.  
  
"I don't know. What if you name me and I name you?"  
  
"Sounds fair to me, equal trade." The blue-haired boy touched the brown-haired boy's head with both hands and closed his eyes.  
  
"Um, what are you doing?"  
  
"Shhh, I'm looking into your future."  
  
"Can you really see my future or you're just teasing me?"  
  
"You are being naive..." He opened his eyes. "Done, I got your name."  
  
"Which is?"  
  
"Don't be impatient. I saw a woman in your future. She's beautiful and kind. And she likes cherry blossoms and wisteria flowers very much. But since cherry blossoms (sakura) are quite feminine for a name, we'll stick with wisteria. So, Fujitaka it is."  
  
"Fujitaka? Sounds nice." The brown-haired boy, now called Fujitaka, smiled.  
  
"Glad you liked it. My turn, then."  
  
"I can't see into your future, you know."  
  
"You don't have to! Be creative, man." Fujitaka went to the bookcase, took a book and flipped some pages. "Erm, just in case, I don't think I'd like Egypt or pyramid as a name, Fujitaka."  
  
"Don't be silly, I took a different book. I'll name you after this one. I just can't read since it's in a strange language as well. Just open it randomly and translate for me."  
  
The blue-haired boy took the book. It was in English, and it was called _The Book of Lost Tales_. It fitted him, since he knew a lot about forgotten stories. He opened it, like Fujitaka had asked him, and started reading.  
  
"_... to the elves, and Eriol told..._"  
  
"Stop! I like that one," exclaimed Fujitaka. "How was it again?"  
  
"Eriol."  
  
"That's it. That's your name. Do you like it?"  
  
"I think I do. I'll keep it, thank you." The blue-haired boy, now called Eriol, was pleased.  
  


* * *

They wandered around the streets. Fujitaka felt lost, so he just limited himself to following Eriol, who seemed to have a clue about where to go. They both were impressed about the bizarre world outside, with roaring beasts made of metal and tall towers of bricks and concrete, but they didn't share impressions with the other.  
  
Suddenly, Eriol came to a halt. "Here we are," he said.  
  
Fujitaka looked up. They were in front of a building with the word 'orphanage' on it. He didn't know the meaning.  
  
"This," said Eriol, his voice broken, "is the place were our roads come apart, Fujitaka. We have to say good-bye now."  
  
"What do you mean!" Fujitaka was on shock, he couldn't believe his ears. "You told me you were me! We must stay together then! What am I supposed to do wi..."  
  
"Please, listen to me..."  
  
"But, Eriol---," his eyes were filled with angry tears.  
  
"LISTEN TO ME!" Eriol shook Fujitaka's shoulders, desperate. His tone became a distressed whisper. "Listen, we... we are the same, yes, but we have different purposes. You do not remember it, but I do. My mission demands me to have an unnatural lifestyle, far from here. I must be a lonely child in order to make it. I cannot grow up yet, I cannot go to school yet, I shall be a hermit. But you... your mission is having a normal life, to grow up, to research, to work, to love! If you come with me, you won't have a gorgeous wife who loves wisteria, a hard-working son and a sweet daughter, and definitely you will never go to Egypt. If you want to live, you got to forget me and stay here."  
  
"I don't understand... I..."  
  
"I'm sorry, I cannot explain anymore. I'll see you someday. And I will never, ever forget you."  
  
Eriol kissed Fujitaka's cheeks, and the brown-haired boy passed out in his arms. He put his motionless body at the entrance, touched his forehead, and a red light surrounded his other self. He was modifying his memory, in order to make him forget about him.  
  
"There are two things you need to remember." He muttered in his ear, hypnotizing. "First: your name is Fujitaka, even though you have no idea why you know it. Second: if you ever find a fake book titled The Clow, do whatever you must and take it with you, leave it in your house and then forget about it. And don't be depressed: everything will be fine, surely."  
  
With that said, Eriol got up and got lost from the real world, one again. He was confident he would see him again, when capricious Fate wanted to. 


End file.
